Life is better without alcohol, say Royal Parks Half Marathon charity runners

A group of runners who decided their lives would be better without alcohol are fundraising for a charity which helps others to reduce the harm it is causing in their lives.

Alcohol can be detrimental to people’s health, their sleep, their relationships and their finances and charity Alcohol Change UK said the harm it can cause affects millions of people every day.

Gillian Silverthorn, Patrick Fox and Carl Davey all decided to stop drinking alcohol and are supporting the charity by taking part in the Royal Parks Half Marathon in central London on Sunday October 13.

Mr Davey, who will be running his first half marathon, said he “used alcohol to cope” after a broken leg curtailed his football career and he lost two close family members.

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“I’ve played football since I was four but broke my leg a few years ago,” said Mr Davey, 31, who played in the East Sussex Premier Division before he was injured.

“Despite trying my best to battle through the injury and continue my football career, it became clear I couldn’t really play at that level any more. Around the same time, I lost both my dad and nan in a short period of time.

“It was a lot to deal with and I was not in a good place. I started using alcohol to cope and could never just have one drink. Most of the time I was drinking to numb my feelings.

“One day, I realised my drinking was becoming a real problem and didn’t want to continue down the destructive path. I stopped drinking and found an online course provided by the Government on fitness, nutrition and wellbeing.

“I really started to enjoy it as it helped me channel my passion for sport and exercise in a new direction. That’s when I decided to become a personal trainer.

“As part of this I got into running and was surprised to experience a similar buzz to the one I used to get on the football field when reaching personal bests or hitting new milestones.”

Mr Davey, from East Sussex, said supporting Alcohol Change UK “was a no-brainer”, adding: “Changing my relationship with alcohol has transformed my life for the better, but we do still live in a society where drinking is considered normal and often expected.

“I’m proud of the fact that instead of old photos of me holding my son after football games with a beer in my hand, I now have photos of me holding him in the gym with a smile on my face.

“I know I’m not the only person who will have seen their drinking creeping up because of life’s hurdles but want to help others see that you can come out the other side.”

Mrs Silverthorn, 64, said she suffered terrible anxiety after drinking alcohol.

“I spent years trying to cut down on my own drinking, but it always crept back up,” she said.

“I felt paralysing anxiety after drinking and was worried I was becoming physically dependent. So for the first time, I reached out to my partner for help.

“Being honest and accountable to somebody helped, but it certainly wasn’t easy at first.

“I’ve now been alcohol-free for more than two years and never want to go back to drinking. My confidence has returned and I love waking up each morning.”

She said Alcohol Change UK’s work to reduce alcohol harm is “desperately needed”, adding that, after she opened up, friends shared concerns about their own drinking.

“I’m lucky enough that I changed my relationship with alcohol in time, but many are still struggling, so supporting this cause is so important to me,” she said.

Ms Silverthorn, who lives in Sennen, Cornwall, and recently retired after owning a health shop, started running just before her 40th birthday after seeing a doctor about breathlessness.

“They told me there was nothing wrong with me and I was just unfit,” she said.

“At first, I couldn’t run from one lamp post to the next but started to enjoy the freedom and mental health benefits of running.

“Fast forward a few years and I’ve done a couple of London Marathons and an ultra-marathon in Africa,” said Mrs Silverthorn, who ran the Cardiff Half Marathon last weekend.

Patrick Fox, 40, from Watford, Hertfordshire, stopped drinking nearly six years ago “after a particularly heavy festive period” and added being a sober coach to other men in the same boat to his life coaching business.

“At the time I had two young children and a puppy and life looked good on the outside. In reality, I was fed up,” he said.

“Drinking – and all the things that came with it – just weren’t fun any more.”

He added: “I’d been attempting to cut back on alcohol on and off for about six years, although each time it was always under the pretence of getting fitter or losing weight. I wasn’t attributing alcohol to my general well-being and mental health.”

In December 2018, he started learning more about what alcohol does to the mind and body, and as his understanding of why he drank grew, his desire to drink reduced.

“Having woken up hungover and on the sofa yet again, I decided enough was enough,” he said of his decision to quit.

“My initial plan was to commit to a long break by stopping for a year. Within a few months, it became clear to me that I didn’t want to go back to drinking.

“During that time, I did all the sober firsts such as birthdays, festivals, Christmases and weddings.

“Some were uncomfortable at first, but with more practice, things got easier.

“My biggest highlight which led to really believing that I could do this was going to a birthday party about three months into not drinking.

“At first it felt very awkward being there and I wasn’t sure what to do without a beer in my hand but by the end of the night I was dancing without a care in the world.”

Mr Fox launched The Alcohol ReThink Podcast “which is all about helping other guys who either want to take a break and see what life is like without alcohol or have had enough and want to stop for good but aren’t sure how”.

He had always been a keen runner but said it became a bigger part of his life when he stopped drinking: “I get so much clarity, ideas for my business and a real feeling of freedom from going for a run.”

He said running for Alcohol Change UK felt like “a natural fit” when he was looking for an event to train for and chose the Royal Parks Half Marathon.

Alcohol Change UK, formed from the merger of Alcohol Concern and Alcohol Research UK, says it is not an anti-alcohol charity but it is “for a future in which people drink as a conscious choice, not a default”.

Danielle Houliston, the charity’s director of income generation and engagement, said: “From headaches and sleepless nights, financial hardship and relationship problems to other long-term health conditions, alcohol harm affects millions of us every day.

“At Alcohol Change UK, we’re on a mission to end this harm.”

She said their work is “designed to shift drinking cultures and change behaviours while pushing for better support and treatment for those that need it”.

“We are so grateful to everyone that makes this work possible,” she said.

“I look forward to joining our Royal Parks Half Marathon runners on the start line this weekend and thank them all for their help and support.”

– To sponsor Carl, visit: www.justgiving.com/page/carl-davey-1725016570778

– To sponsor Gillian, visit: www.justgiving.com/page/gillian-silverthorn-1715857521260

– To sponsor Patrick, visit: www.justgiving.com/page/patrick-fox-alcohol-change